Implications of Empowerment and Delegation in a Criminal Justice Organization
In any organization, making decisions is the heart and soul of many businesses, if not all of them. The implications of empowering subordinates and delegating authority in a criminal justice organization can have a twofold effect. When one uses the word empowerment, it is considered the cure all for all those who are dissatisfied, at any degree, to improve what ails a particular criminal justice organization. The pros outweigh the cons for those who choose to allow this process to work. Empowerment is a team leadership strategy that has been proven to be effective and efficient, if implemented properly. Unfortunately, many police organizations work in the same manner as before this phase started, to their own detriment [ (Ph.D., 2009) ].
One of the pros of empowering is that it allows managers to share his or her decision making ability with subordinates. It also allows managers to believe in his or her employees and to trust them more. One of the cons to empowering is that it is a risky process when the wrong person is given the authority. Another implication is that leaders can be misunderstood to those looking from the outside thinking he or she transferred his or her authority. [ (Ph.D., 2009) ]. In police agencies today, to empower, you must delegate. This type of authority has become used more often because of the demanding nature of police work today.
If done properly, delegation allows managers to focus on other aspects of police work, when someone who can be trusted is in charge. While the process of delegation is in process, uncertainty is at its highest level. This is the reason for amount of trepidation seen among managers [ (Ph.D., 2009) ]. Many police believe him or her delegate when he or she does not truly release his or her authority. Mistrust is one of the negative implications of delegation. Effective delegation can lead to positive leadership, if done...